Learn
Understand the science behind the data
VPD and Plant Stress
Vapour Pressure Deficit explained for non-scientists.
How Dendrometers Work
Measuring tree growth in real-time with micrometer precision.
How to Read This Dashboard
A guide to understanding the data and charts on this site.
Sap Flow: Measuring Water Uptake
How heat-pulse sensors reveal a tree's water use.
Drought and Recovery
How eucalypt forests respond to and recover from drought.
About This Project
🌲 What is the Mt Coot-tha Environmental Observatory?
The Mt Coot-tha Environmental Observatory is a community-driven sensor network monitoring the health of one of Brisbane's most important urban forests. Using a network of low-power wireless sensors placed across ridges, gullies, and slopes, we continuously measure air temperature, humidity, and soil moisture to build a real-time picture of how the forest is responding to weather, seasons, and climate change.
📡 How does it work?
Environmental sensors transmit data via LoRaWAN to a Milesight UG67 gateway on site, which forwards readings to this dashboard every few minutes. The system automatically detects new sensors when they come online — no manual configuration required. We use Milesight EM320-TH probes for air temperature and humidity, and Dragino SE01-LS probes for soil moisture, temperature, and electrical conductivity.
🤝 Who is it for?
The general public — feel connected to the forest through live conditions and stories.
Researchers & students — explore and export data for ecological analysis.
Land managers — monitor drought stress, heatwave impacts, and post-burn recovery.
Community members — share observations, sightings, and contribute to the knowledge base.
🗺️ Where are the sensors?
Sensors are distributed across five sites on Mt Coot-tha, each representing a different microhabitat: the exposed summit ridge, sheltered creek gullies, mid-slope eucalypt forest, and dense understorey near JC Slaughter Falls. This lets us compare how different parts of the forest experience the same weather event.
View the sensor map →📊 Understanding the data
The dashboard shows computed forest stress states derived from sensor readings. Colours on the map represent percentiles against historical data — not raw values — so you can see at a glance whether conditions are typical or unusual. Every chart shows coverage percentage and number of contributing sensors, so you know how much data is behind each reading.
How to read the dashboard →🌏 Open data
All sensor data is freely available for download in CSV and JSON formats via the Data tab. We believe environmental data should be open and accessible. If you use this data in research or publications, we'd love to hear about it.